It contained a 'raspberry-mint shrub' and, needless to say, we had no idea what that meant but were very happy with our tangy and berry flavored bubbly. It seems that shrub infused drinks, which is just a type of flavored simple syrup with a little kick of vinegar, has really caught on. There was a shrub cocktail on the menu at Lola last week and I've seen them pop up on Pinterest. The origin of the shrub is rather interesting. Naturally, I had to try and create my own.

It's really, really, really easy to do. Just mix, leave overnight, strain and add some vinegar. I wanted to try my hand at a straight up raspberry shrub, and just bought frozen raspberries from Trader Joe's. I think I might try strawberry or strawberry-basil next...Raspberry Champagne Shrub CocktailIngredients:

1 pound of raspberries (fresh or frozen - I mixed mine straight from the freezer)

2 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

Combine berries and sugar in a glass bowl, stir and cover with plastic wrap.

Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or up to two days.

Scoop the top layer of fruit and sugar into a sieve of mesh strainer (there will be some sugar at the bottom that doesn't dissolve), strain into a separate container and return to bowl.

Whisk in vinegar and transfer to a glass or plastic bottle and give it a shake whenever you are ready to use. It will last a month in the fridge.

Make a cocktail! Just pour about 2 tablespoons in the bottom of a champagne flute and top with your favorite bubbly.